On this date last year...

[soccer10k]

Rich Hill gave up one run on three hits over seven innings and Jacque Jones hit a two-run homer in the sixth off Braden Looper to give the Cubs a 2-1 win over St. Louis at Wrigley. The win, combined with Cincinnati's 8-3 win over Milwaukee, gave the Cubs sole possession of first place at the end of a calendar day for the first time all season. The Cubs had been tied with the Brewers on August 1 and 2 but had yet to be in first all by themselves. They would spend only two more days in second place all year.

[Andy]

You know, it's still impossible to conceive that Rich Hill has done literally nothing, Derrek Lee has been mediocre at best since April, there's no one on the Cubs that has as many homers as Rick Ankiel, the three best teams in the league are in our division, Soriano has missed almost 50 games, and yet here we are.

[third eye]

You know, it's still impossible to conceive that Rich Hill has done literally nothing, Derrek Lee has been mediocre at best since April, there's no one on the Cubs that has as many homers as Rick Ankiel, the three best teams in the league are in our division, Soriano has missed almost 50 games, and yet here we are.

 

Very well put. Though Dempster has put up numbers that were on the very high end of projections for Hill.

[Andy]

You know, it's still impossible to conceive that Rich Hill has done literally nothing, Derrek Lee has been mediocre at best since April, there's no one on the Cubs that has as many homers as Rick Ankiel, the three best teams in the league are in our division, Soriano has missed almost 50 games, and yet here we are.

 

Very well put. Though Dempster has put up numbers that were on the very high end of projections for Hill.

Oh, of course. My (barely visible) point is that the Cubs have had a lot go wrong and a lot go right this season. I can't think of any really good team in recent years that had so many players be better or worse than expected by the kind of margin that Hill, Dempster, Reed Johnson, etc. have.

[Schwarber Fan]

You know, it's still impossible to conceive that Rich Hill has done literally nothing, Derrek Lee has been mediocre at best since April, there's no one on the Cubs that has as many homers as Rick Ankiel, the three best teams in the league are in our division, Soriano has missed almost 50 games, and yet here we are.

 

Very well put. Though Dempster has put up numbers that were on the very high end of projections for Hill.

Oh, of course. My (barely visible) point is that the Cubs have had a lot go wrong and a lot go right this season. I can't think of any really good team in recent years that had so many players be better or worse than expected by the kind of margin that Hill, Dempster, Reed Johnson, etc. have.

 

It would be quite the interesting list...

 

Flops:

 

Rich Hill

Felix Pie

Kevin Hart

Fukudome (last few months)

Lee's power recently

Bob Howry

 

Surprises:

 

Ryan Dempster

Geovany Soto

Ryan Theriot

Mike Fontenot

Jim Edmonds

Reed Johnson

Jeff Samardjiza

acquisition of Harden/Gaudin

 

Guys who have done as expected:

 

Aramis Ramirez

Alfonso Soriano

D Lee besides the power

Mark DeRosa

Carlos Zambrano

Carlos Marmol (mostly)

Kerry Wood

everyone else

 

IMO

[Derwood]

the Cubs were only 3 or 4 games over .500 at this time last year. A bit has changed I'd say

[mcgoobs]

the Cubs were only 3 or 4 games over .500 at this time last year. A bit has changed I'd say

 

If last year's Cubs team instead played this year, we would be watching a team that would basically be out of the playoff hunt.

 

If this year's Cubs team instead played last year, we would have been trying to figure out how early in last year's September we would clinch the division.

[David]

To be fair, though, last year's team did play like a 96 win team after completely crapping the bed for the first two months. I'm still not sure why the hell they started off so bad, but it wasn't exactly a pushover team.

 

This year's is significantly better, though, especially in some key areas.

[Cynosure]

Rich Hill gave up one run on three hits over seven innings and Jacque Jones hit a two-run homer in the sixth off Braden Looper to give the Cubs a 2-1 win over St. Louis at Wrigley. The win, combined with Cincinnati's 8-3 win over Milwaukee, gave the Cubs sole possession of first place at the end of a calendar day for the first time all season. The Cubs had been tied with the Brewers on August 1 and 2 but had yet to be in first all by themselves. They would spend only two more days in second place all year.

 

/drool

[chuckywang]

And on this date two years ago ..... never mind.

[Guest]

And on this date two years ago ..... never mind.

 

Well, the Cubs didn't lose on August 17, 2006. They didn't exactly have a game to play, but that's beside the point.

[NCCubFan]

I'm still not sure why the hell they started off so bad, but it wasn't exactly a pushover team.

I think it was largely a case of a team and a new manager getting used to each other. Don't forget they started slowly in 2003 as well (they were a game under .500 as late as July).

[David]

I'm still not sure why the hell they started off so bad, but it wasn't exactly a pushover team.

I think it was largely a case of a team and a new manager getting used to each other. Don't forget they started slowly in 2003 as well (they were a game under .500 as late as July).

 

From what I remember about that team, they actually got off to a good start and then hung around .500 for most of the year before making a late run in Sept to make the playoffs and finish with a less mediocre record.

[kjfoster 1553]

And on this date two years ago ..... never mind.

 

Well, the Cubs didn't lose on August 17, 2006. They didn't exactly have a game to play, but that's beside the point.

 

:lol:

[biittner77]

What was the Met's record? It was only last year but I can't remember when they started to collapse and how big their lead was.

[David]

What was the Met's record? It was only last year but I can't remember when they started to collapse and how big their lead was.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/standings?date=20070912

[Guest]

What was the Met's record? It was only last year but I can't remember when they started to collapse and how big their lead was.

 

The Mets' 2007 schedule from Baseball Reference.

 

As David posted, the Mets were 7 games up on September 12. They proceeded to finish 5-12. They were also up two games with five to play.